Article
The Spirit Speaks
by Terry W. Benton The Spirit speaks completely through the scriptures. The Spirit gave the Scriptures so that we would know what the apostles knew (Ephesians 3:3-5). We can know all that the Spirit revealed to Paul, read it, and then know all he knew. That is no small matter because the Word of God…
Read MoreMiracles Then Versus Now
by Terry W. Benton When Jesus worked miracles, nobody could deny it. Unbelievers tried to explain them away, but they could not deny a miracle happened. Jesus raised the dead, healed the lame, opened blind eyes, turned water to wine, walked on water, healed the dying at great distances, and all of it instantaneously. There…
Read MoreThe Church Treasury
by Terry W. Benton Consider the following quote from a house-church denominationalist: It is true that the disciples were instructed to treasure up some things, “And concerning the collection that [is] for the saints, as I directed to the assemblies of Galatia, so also ye — do ye; on every first [day] of the week,…
Read MoreChurch Issues and Love
by Edward O. Bragwell Throughout church history, divisive issues have arisen among Christians, even to this present day. While this should concern us, it should not cause excessive alarm. They are to be expected. After all, the apostle Paul wrote in the First Century: “For, in the first place, when you assemble as a church,…
Read MoreFear or Faithfulness?
by Matthew W. Bassford From an earthly perspective, many of the prophets of the Old Testament got a raw deal. On this list, we certainly must include Jeremiah. He was forbidden to marry and have a family, he couldn’t attend parties or funerals, and he prophesied in a time that was utterly hostile to his…
Read MoreAn Inquiry into Baptism
Sprinkling, Pouring, or Immersion, Which Shall It Be? by Jefferson David Tant Introduction Since the Bible teaches that baptism is an essential part of my relationship with Christ (Mark 16:16; Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3-5, etc.), then it behooves me to make sure that my baptism is pleasing to the one who has given the ordinance. …
Read MoreBe Careful Assigning God’s Judgments
by Doy Moyer A hurricane just demolished a town; it must be the judgment of God. Sickness took the life of this person; God must be judging. Some really bad things happened it seemed all at once; surely God is judging. Not so fast. We are not in a position to make such sweeping pronouncements.…
Read MoreChristianity that Is Appealing to Atheists
by Forrest Antemesaris I was a happy atheist. I didn’t sense a need for any kind of religion in my life. However, I wasn’t completely closed-minded toward religion. I visited a Baptist service, a Catholic Mass, and dabbled in the teachings of Buddhism (my favorite at the time). Yet, religion in all of its forms…
Read MoreSpiritual Wisdom and the Internet
by Matthew W. Bassford The Internet is one of the most powerful inventions in human history. If we use it to seek the Lord, it can accomplish great things for Him. Without the Internet, I certainly wouldn’t be able to blog, and I probably wouldn’t be able to write hymns. This is to say nothing,…
Read MoreA Review of Recent Arguments for Women Preachers
by Wayne Jackson Every significant movement within society will eventually, to some degree, make itself felt in the church. The phenomenon of “women’s liberation” is no exception. There are those within the body of Christ who are clamoring that women must throw off the yoke of male domination and claim their rightful place in the…
Read MoreA Study of Heaven
by Wayne Jackson Is heaven real? If so, how does one know? In spite of bogus claims of having visited heaven, such as that professed by Ellen G. White of Seventh-day Adventist fame (1945, 32ff), no one has died, gone to heaven, and returned to earth to tell of the experience (cf. II Corinthians 12:1-10). All…
Read MoreMade to be Sin
by Doy Moyer Sometimes I am struck with the beauty of a passage while, at the same time, humbled by the fact that its fullness and depth are out of my reach. The passage becomes a never-ending source of thought, ideas, and encouragement. Such is the case for me with II Corinthians 5:21 — “For…
Read MoreThe Problem with Jeroboam II
by Matthew W. Bassford In any secular history book, Jeroboam II would look like a successful king. He reigned for 41 years in an age when the length of a reign correlated with political power. Militarily, he was one of the greatest commanders among the monarchs of Israel. During his reign, he brought the seesaw…
Read MoreThe Real Issue in Modesty
by Doy Moyer I see a variety of discussions about modesty. Often they seem to devolve into disputes about issues like women’s empowerment, men’s lustful habits, and where exactly the lines on the body should be. I have no interest in starting another such dispute, so let’s not go there. What I do want to…
Read MoreLimping Between Two Opinions
by Matthew W. Bassford The story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal is one of the most famous in the book of I Kings. Even though the direction of the book is generally downward, I Kings 18 contains a moment of spiritual triumph. However, even before the triumph takes place, there are still lessons…
Read MoreCome on Over
by Emma Wyatt When I was newlywed, my husband asked if we could invite the visiting preacher over for supper one night. I panicked. I said no. I had just barely learned to cook. And everyone knows the only appropriate meal to feed a preacher is a pot roast, right? I didn’t know how to…
Read MoreNever Give Up
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton He first contacted me because he was struggling with sexual sins. Conversations were not the greatest because English was his second language and I could not speak his. There was also a cultural gap because he only knew the Orthodox church and its teachings. It was also frustrating because he would…
Read MoreBearing Sins
by Doy Moyer I was reading in Matthew and this caught my attention and my mind began to chase the rabbit down the hole. Maybe others have made this point: “That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who…
Read MoreWhen Is a Baptism Valid?
by Matthew Bassford Seven or eight years ago, I got a call from a brother in St. Louis who asked me to study with his mother. I set up the study and began, as I usually do, by asking her questions about her religious background. She explained that she had been brought up in a…
Read MoreJesus’ Approach to Authority
by Terry W. Benton Here was Jesus’ approach to authority: The Son can do nothing of Himself (positive authority must allow the action). But what He sees the Father do (Divine precedent or example). The Father shows Him all things that He Himself does (John 5:19-20). Thus, Jesus placed a lot of emphasis upon example and the authority of…
Read MoreThe Misunderstood Jesus
by Doy Moyer Understanding people is often difficult. What do they mean? How are they using phrases? Are they being literal or figurative, or both? In person, we can ask and clarify, but when we are reading what others said, we can easily misinterpret because we are not hearing the inflections or seeing their gestures.…
Read MoreThe Winepress of God’s Wrath
by Steve A. Hamilton “So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image” (Revelation 16:2). The date was 541 A.D. Roman Emperor Justinian was reigning in his 14th year…
Read MoreWhy Unleavened Bread?
by Doy Moyer Why do we use unleavened bread when we partake of the Lord’s Supper? At the first level of understanding, we recognize that Jesus used unleavened bread when giving instructions for the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26). We know this because it was on the occasion of the Passover that Jesus gave these instructions.…
Read MoreReflections on Singleness
by Jonathan T. Engel Photo by Nick Adams on Unsplash Thanks to various factors, over the past few months I have, in some respects, felt more hopeful than ever about my prospects for marriage. A huge part of this is that I finally started convincing myself of what others have told me, namely, that it’s…
Read MoreA Tale of Two Gods
How Calvinism’s God and the Bible’s God are Two Very Different God’s by Ben Giselbach One very popular denominational preacher and writer, John Piper, is famous for saying that “all things” – even down to the subatomic level – “are ordained, guided, and governed” by God. [1] The idea that God determines everything can be traced back…
Read MoreThe Sadducees
by Terry W. Benton The Sadducees did not believe in angels or in the resurrection after death. So, they tried to stump Jesus on the issue of the resurrection (Mark 12:18-23). Jesus pointed out that they didn’t know the Scriptures nor the power of God (Mark 12:24). If they knew the Scriptures and the power…
Read MoreTill My Change Comes
by Terry W. Benton Job had quite impressive faith. He believed in life after this body is put down in death. He said, “If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, till my change comes” (Job 14:14). It is evident that Job believed in a…
Read MoreHow to Judge
by Matthew W. Bassford If there is any verse in the Bible that our society knows, it’s Matthew 7:1. Even people who have never cracked open a Bible in their lives are able to quote from the King James Version, “Judge not that ye be not judged.” I’m not sure that they know what a ye is,…
Read MoreThe Constitution and the Bible
by Terry Wane Benton The debate over the Constitution illustrates some of the same problems in agreeing over the Bible. The problem does not come from these documents. It comes from the agenda of those who approach either one. Some are intent on making laws to fit their own will and so they are not interested…
Read MoreThe World Is Passing Away
by Terry Wayne Benton “The world is passing away” (I John 2:15,17). But AD 70 brethren say that the world is not passing away, using Ephesians 3:21 to say “world without end,” and they say Isaiah 9:6f affirms that the “increase of His government…is without end;” therefore, the world will keep on supplying people for…
Read MoreContext
by Terry Wane Benton The apostles of Jesus were the eyewitnesses and we are the jurors. Promises made to the apostles in John 13-17 are not made to all of us. The context is about a long discussion Jesus had with His twelve witnesses. Jesus said to them “And you also will bear witness, because…
Read MoreEvidence that 90% of Earth’s Species Developed at the Same Time
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton An analysis of the mitochondrial DNA in 100,000 species showed that there were fewer neutral mutations (variations that have no impact) than expected and that the number of neutral mutations in the various species is basically the same, indicating that these species all began at roughly the same time. The authors’…
Read MoreThe Words in Red
by Terry Wayne Benton Some have the impression that if we believe the words in red (in red letter editions of the Bible) are more sacred and binding than the other words delivered by the other apostles of Jesus. This reasoning is terribly wrong. First, Matthew wrote over a decade after Jesus ascended to heaven…
Read MoreBaptism and the Faithfulness of God
by Matthew W. Bassford Whether most Christians think about it or not, their entire belief system is based on the premise that God is faithful. God’s faithfulness is what makes it reasonable for us to trust in Him and devote our lives to doing His will. We know that if we keep our covenant with…
Read MoreTiming the Book of Revelation
by Steve A. Hamilton Timing is everything for the proper interpretation of the book of Revelation. Various theories have developed concerning the interpretation of the Book of Revelation that have been ignored when it was written or when it concludes. These theories take advantage of the symbolic nature of the book to express ideas that…
Read MoreIs Investing Gambling?
by Matthew W. Bassford From time to time, I’ll hear people arguing that, morally speaking, investing in the stock market is the same thing as gambling. Usually, the argument is advanced by folks who think that gambling is fine and want to expose what they see as hypocrisy in those who believe that it’s wrong.…
Read MoreThe Resurrection of Christ and the Inspiration of the Scriptures
by Robert H. Farish via Gospel Guardian, April 14, 1960 The evidence by which the resurrection of Christ is proved is the testimony of the apostles. This testimony was originally given orally and later put into writing by the apostles. This testimony asserts not only the miracle of the resurrection (I Corinthians 15:20) but also…
Read MoreDo You Act — Or React?
by Sydney J. Harris I walked with my friend, a Quaker, to the newsstand the other night, and he bought a paper, thanking the newsie politely. The newsie didn’t even acknowledge it. “A sullen fellow, isn’t he?” I commented. “Oh, he’s that way every night,” shrugged my friend. “Then why do you continue to be…
Read MoreIn the Beginning God …
by Terry Wayne Benton Genesis 1:1. The first verse in the Bible is either true or false. If false, then the truth would have to be: Something accidentally came from nothing. Something eternal accidentally brought life and order. But something has never come from nothing, so we have to admit that something is eternal in…
Read MoreWhose Word I Praise!
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton David was on the run. The king of Israel, Saul, was determined to see him dead. His best friend, Saul’s son, confirmed that Saul would not be deterred. The threat was so severe that David decided to flee into Philistine territory. The Philistines were no friends to Israel, and David had…
Read More